The Rebel League and the Death Ray, Part 6

They finally landed in Yavin Park, just across from the older buildings with the deli and the book store. Leia directed them to the parking lot behind the alley, bordered by a dilapidated fence. “Ok, boys,” she said as she lead them to a screen door between the coffee shop and the deli. “All right, boys,” she admonished. “What you see here is secret. You can't tell anyone else about it, including your friends and relatives. Everything we do depends on staying anonymous.”

Harris shrugged. “That's fine. I don't really have too many of those anyway, besides Chewie.” The big dog barked his agreement.

“I wouldn't tell.” Luke nodded. “I'm no snitch.”

The door and the narrow, sparsely carpeted stairs and whitewashed hall going up to the second floor were perfectly normal. They looked like the ones that lead to the second floor apartment at his uncle and aunt's house. What wasn't normal were what they found when Leia lead them through the door on the top of the stairs.

Every available space was taken by banks of large, blinking computers, maybe not as top-of-the-line as he'd seen at the Mufasar Iron Works, but still better than most businesses were using. Maps of the Coruscant City area and outlying towns covered the walls. The most surprising of all was the people. There were people shooting ice and electricity into targets made of old boxing bags one room. Others polished and repaired jet packs in another room filled with shelves of tools and parts. One man lifted his “Hang In There!” coffee cup and brought it to his desk without using his hands. A hulking fellow with slightly lavender skin and pointy ears lifted a couch so a woman with long brown braids tied with green ribbons could retrieve a dropped pencil.

“Welcome to the nerve center of the Rebel League.” Leia waved her hand at the computers. “This is where we send our recruits and keep an eye on what the Empire is doing and where they might strike next.”

“Leia!” An older man with a beard and a rumpled suit ducked around two stacked boxes of papers and a crate to put his arms around her. “I'm so glad you're all right. When we heard about Aldera Manor, we feared the worst.”

Leia drew in a breath when he mentioned her destroyed home, and her lip shook for a second. She finally handed him the bag with the tapes and blueprints instead. “We have no time for sorrows, Dr. Dodonna. We have to go over the information contained in this bag right this second. Call as many people as you can get in for a meeting. It's our only hope.”

“Dr. Dodonna?” Luke's eyes widened. “I've never seen you outside of the classroom. I didn't think you existed outside of the classroom!”

“Hello, Mr. Skylander.” Dodonna chuckled. “I guess now you know what I do in my off hours. The question is, what are you doing here?”

“Me? Oh.” He waved at Harris, who was gazing around with a wary eye, and Chewbacca, who sniffed at several legs. “We brought Force Girl here. We were supposed to bring The Negotiator, but...uh...”

Harris ambled up to them, giving them an easy smile. “The old guy didn't make it. Some giant robot man in black armor took him down. It was a shame. He fought pretty well, for someone his age.” He shook the wary Dodonna's hand. “Name's Harris Arietta, and that's Chewbacca. Chewie, come here!” The dog had wandered into the kitchen area, where two young men fed him chicken sandwiches from the deli downstairs. His owner turned back to the older professor. “Mr. MacKenner and the kid here hired me to take 'em to Aldera Manor. They owe me ten thousand dollars.”

“We'll see to it that you get it.” Dodonna shook his hand firmly. “You'll get whatever you ask for helping to rescue Miss Ortega.” He turned back to Luke. “And you, young man...”

“Can I stay?” Luke was grinning ear to ear. “I really want to help. I was glad to rescue Miss Ortega. I'd like to do more.”

Dr. Dodonna nodded. “I'll have to talk to the White Queen. She's really the one who's in charge. Matter of fact, I need to tell her that Leia's all right.”

“I'll go with you.” Leia rejoined them, followed by Chewbacca at her side. “I need to warn her. Vader and his men could be here at any minute. Matter of fact, Dodonna, is there any way we could round up everyone and call a meeting?”

“We'll do what we can,” Dodonna insisted. “I'll go downstairs and get Ahsoka and the mechanics.”

Luke raised an eyebrow as they made their way to the back of the building. “Leia, who's the White Queen?”

“Yeah.” Harris made a face at Chewbacca. “Chewie, get over here!” His dog whimpered and went to his master's side, licking his hand and barking. “Traitor.” He still got a scratch on the belly that made him whimper with delight. “I've heard the name 'White Queen,'” he added as he rubbed Chewie's scruffy fur. “Some of my boss' people have talked about her. They say she's a ghost, a shadow. Someone told me she doesn't exist.” The smirk popped up again. “Though I've heard a lot of stories about her for someone who doesn't exist.”

“Oh, she's real, all right,” Leia insisted as she them into a small room with a wide, much used round table in the center. “She's the one who gives us our orders. She has her own office downtown. Most people don't see her. They just take orders from her. She prefers to remain anonymous.” The back walls were dominated by three windows covered in orange, yellow, and gold floral shades. The remaining walls were lined with more blinking, beeping computer banks.

“How come?” Harris snickered. “Is she that nasty looking?”

Leia settled down on one of the brown vinyl chairs with the shiny metal legs. “No. She just doesn't want her real name to get out to the wrong people, namely Vader and the Empire. If they get her, we're all done for.”

Others trickled in, grabbing the chairs around the room, bringing their own chairs, or leaning against walls when there wasn't enough room to sit. Some even plopped on the floor. Chewie settled down between Harris and Leia's chairs. Luke took the chair next to Leia. He grinned when he saw who sat on his left.

“Biggs!” Arms clad in a “fire sale” t-shirt flung themselves around the somewhat older college student in the expensive tan suit with the Burt Reynolds-esque mustache. “What are you doing here? I thought you'd joined some student union at Coruscant U.”

“I did.” He waved his hands at the growing crowd. “This one. Dodonna talked me into it. I don't exactly have what you'd call superpowers, but I know engineering. I've been working with a bunch of the guys here on these winged jet packs. They let you fly with no plane. They are so hip. You wouldn't believe what we can do to Vader's jet jockeys in those babies.” He grinned. “What brings you here? I didn't think you had any classes with Dr. D.”

“I don't.” Luke sighed. “Let's just say it's been a long day. Vader killed my uncle and a good friend of mine, and I want to make sure no one else gets hurt.”

Biggs' big grin dropped. “That's a major bummer, man. I'm sorry about your uncle. He could be a grouch, but he was usually pretty cool. Taught me a lot about basic building principals when the two of us used to hang around his shop.”

“I feel terrible.” Luke bit his lip. “I'm pretty sure they were after something I had on me. Or something my friends had.”

The young man next to Biggs frowned. “I'm sorry about your uncle, man. He was one of the good ones.”

“Thanks, Wedge.” Luke leaned over and patted his shoulder. “What brings you out here, anyway? I thought you were joining the Air Force.”

Wedge traced the scars on the old Formica table. “I was, until the Empire burned my dad's gas station down. Killed Dad and put Mom in the hospital with severe third-degree burns. I'd heard about the Rebellion before that, but I didn't join until Sabine and her buddies recruited me and a couple of other college kids.”

“They seem to be good at that.” Luke put an arm around him. “We'll avenge them, Wedge. We'll make things right.”

“Shh!” Leia nudged Luke. “They're just about ready to start.”

There wasn't a space left to even wiggle one's toes when Rudy finally finished hooking up the tapes to the wood-paneled computer. Charlie and a middle-aged man in a light blue suit whom Leia called Carl Rieekian flipped on a wood grained box as Rudy wheeled over the computer console.

“Do you hear us, White Queen?” Charlie flipped the switch around. “Are we coming in?”

“Loud and clear, Charles.” A warm, gentle voice filled the room. Luke thought it was one of the prettiest voices he'd ever heard. It was like honeysuckles on the vine. “Force Girl...Leia...I'm so glad you're safe.”

The girl nodded, trying not to turn red. “I'm fine, Queen. Thanks to Charlie, Rudy, and two...er...gentlemen...who helped me escape the Iron Works.” Chewbacca, who was gnawing on a bone Harris dug up in the kitchen, barked. “Oh,” chuckled Leia, “and the dog helped, too.”

“I did hear about Ben MacKenner...the Negotiator.” A sad sigh escaped over the intercom. “He was a good man with a good heart, and a very old and dear friend.” The Queen's voice became more urgent. “That's why it's of the utmost importance that we find a way to destroy this weapon. It's already burned the Erso Shipyards and Aldera Manor to the ground. Who knows what Vader and the Empire would go after next?”

“That's where we come in, Queenie.” Rudy pulled the computer around to face everyone. “Me n' Charlie n' Dr. Dodonna went over the plans, and I think we might have found a convenient weakness we could exploit.”

Leia nodded. “Jenny Erso...the Huntress...told me about that, before she...” The girl frowned deeply before she went on. “Before she and the rest of her team were destroyed along with the Erso Shipyards. Her father was one of the people who helped build the Death Ray. He apparently added a small thermal exhaust port that leads right to the main reactor. An explosive dropped in the shaft will start a chain reaction that will blow up the gun. The shaft is sealed with heavy iron. Miss Sabine Wren,” he nodded at the teenage girl in the pink armor, “and her family have provided explosives heavy enough to take out the grill.”

“Guy was lucky no one noticed that,” Harris muttered. “If it was me, the first thing I'd do would be to cover that grill with somethin' besides iron. Maybe light beams, or heavy double-thick lead.” Leia kicked his shin lightly and made a face at him.

“I don't think that's possible,” Wedge burst out as the green and black hillside showed a tiny spot, barely more than a few inches. “Even the computers on our packs couldn't hit that!”

Luke elbowed him. “It'll be all right. Remember when Uncle Owen used to take us hunting? Some of the smaller animals we shot couldn't have been more than two inches.”

“Your mission,” the White Queen went on, “is to get the explosive in that hole. Think of it like Space Wars or Destroyer, only far larger. Those who aren't dropping the explosives will cover the rest. No less than four squadrons of Shadow Men have been spotted flying towards Yavin Park.” Her voice became gentler. “Those of you who are flying, man your jet packs. Everyone else is to remain in the control room until further notice. And may the light shine for all of you.”

“Thank you, White Queen.” Dr. Dodonna switched off the intercom box and turned to the others. “You heard the lady. All those in the Jet Pack squad, report to the roof. Everyone else, you're assigned to the control room starting this second.”

Biggs was the first one to his feet. “Hey Luke,” he started as he stretched his long limbs, “you gonna join the Jet Pack Squad? I know you were studying flying. We could us a good guy like you.”

The younger man grinned back. “A wild Vader couldn't keep me away.”

He was less happy to see Harris accepting a wad of cash from Dr. Dodonna as he made his way to the control room. Chewie whimpered at his master's side. “So,” Luke snapped angrily, “you got your reward and you're just leaving now?”

Harris looked up from counting his cash. “Sure. I've got some old debts I need to repay with this stuff. Besides, I'm not crazy like you college boys. Attackin' that death ray ain't my idea of courage. It's more like suicide. I ain't no superhero, boy. I'm just a man tryin' to get by.” He shrugged. “Hey, why don't you come along? You're good in a fight and are pretty smart, for a college kid. I could use you.”

“I can't. They need me.” Luke nodded, trying to imitate Harris' eternally cool glance. “Take care of yourself then, Harry. I guess that's what you're best at, isn't it?”

He'd just turned to follow Wedge to the roof when he heard Harris' voice. “Luke?” He turned around...to see Harris nod at him, his smile genuine for the first time since he'd met him. “Good luck.”

“You too.” Luke tried to stay as cool as Harris, but he couldn't help but show how hurt he was. Chewie whined by his master's side, but ultimately followed him downstairs to the alley where the Falcon was still parked.

~*~*~*~*~*~

The rooftop garden had been built in the early part of the 20^th century, when it was a popular nightclub and theater. After the advent of Prohibition closed the club, it had fallen into decay until just a few years before, when Senator Patricia Amidala bought the entire block of buildings to restore as low-cost housing for small businesses, artists, and college students.

“People assume we're working on class projects up here.” Wedge fitted Luke with one of the sleek, lightweight metal packs. “What we're really doing is perfecting these.”

Roger Porkins, a heavy-set man with thinning blond hair and bristly mustache, was doing last-minute adjustments on his straps. “Yeah. The first ones didn't always land well. Sometimes, they'd flare out in the middle of a dog fight. Once, they blew up on a guy.” He waved a hand when Luke's eyes widened. “Just once! We figured out it was the fuel line. Never did it again after that.”

“Great.” Luke tried to grin, but it just made him look nervous. “So, how do you turn the thing on?”

“Like this.” A Hispanic woman with curly black hair and sparkling cocoa eyes pressed a small yellow button on the side. Wings made of shiny metal and non-flammable white and orange fabric unfurled, giving her the look of a majestic eagle. “By the way, I'm Shara Bey.” She smirked. “They call me Captain Aero, because I'm the best flyer in the skies, male or female.”

“With the biggest ego.” Johnny Brannon, an ex-Army officer, glared at her. “Why don't you go downstairs and help your man Kes in the coffee shop? Leave the flying to us real professionals.”

“Hey,” snapped Shara, “it's not my fault the Air Force thinks women are second-class citizens for some reason. I've done a lot of flying for them here in the US, and my mother was a member of the WASPs during World War II.”

“Enough.” Leia pushed between them. “Save it for the Empire.” She turned to Luke, tugging at the sleeves of his orange and white jumpsuit. “Hey, are you all right? You've been a little out of it for the past hour.”

He tried to shrug in the heavy yards of cotton and spandex. “It's Harry. I guess I'm just disappointed. I really thought he'd change his mind.”

“He has to follow his own path, Luke. No one can choose it for him.” Leia blushed as she stood on her tip-toes to give him a kiss on his cheek. “You be careful out there. Good luck!”

He couldn't help turning red. Three of the guys near him whistled and nudged him. He didn't even feel it. He'd barely gotten one girl to notice him for a lot of his life. Most of them took one look at him and thought “cute little brother.” Today, he'd been noticed by two and kissed by one. Granted, the first one was interviewing him and was an annoying pain, but that didn't mean she wasn't beautiful...

“Hey, Earth to Skylander.” Biggs elbowed him. “We're about to take off, buddy. I can already see the Shadow Men coming. If they find our headquarters, we're toast.” He gave him a knowing smirk under his mustache. “Tell me all about the lady on your mind when we get back, ok?”

“Oh, yeah.” Luke flipped the switch on his jet pack. “I guess it's time to go, right?”

“Flying first, buddy.” Biggs flipped the switch on his. “Women slightly second. Watch me, and I'll show you how it's done.” He took off after the leader Garven Dresdan, an older man who had flown in World War II. Biggs flew effortlessly, gliding like one of the real birds in the sky, looking like he'd been there for years.

“Well,” Luke gulped, “here goes nothing.” He flipped on the switch and shot into the sky!

He wished he'd asked the others for an instruction manual. It was hard for him to keep the jet pack under check at first. It wanted to glide all over the place. Once the wings came out, it was a little easier for him to catch the wind. After that, it felt natural. Like...like he should be there. Like the air and the wind were his true home.

“You're doing good there, Luke.” Rudy came up behind him, flying on his own jet pack sized perfectly for his dwarfish height. “Let me show you how to shoot the gun on this thing.” He pushed a button on the handles. Bright green lights shot out at the top, exploding in mid-air. “I designed 'em. I designed almost everything we use, shorty. Dodonna n' some of his students n' I created the jet packs in one of their classes.”

Luke took a couple of practice shots on the sign on top of the old National Allied Bank. The first one went too wide, taking out a chuck of a building. The second went just under the sign, singing the bank building's roof. “Damn it!” He fiddled with the small scope on his handle. “I wish I'd had the chance to practice. I haven't shot at anything in almost a decade, since Uncle Owen stopped doing hunting trips.”

Biggs tapped his shoulder and pointed at the fifty figures flying in black and white jumpsuits coming from the Mufasar Iron Works. “You'd better figure it out fast, buddy. We're almost there.”

The gun was already starting to emerge from the mountain behind the Iron Works when they arrived. “Look at the size of that thing!” Wedge exclaimed in shock.

“Never mind the size!” Shara flipped up the visor on her helmet. “Look at where it's aimed! They're going to vaporize Yavin Park!”

Rudy flipped his own visor. “Not if we can help it, doll.” He waved to the others. “Come on. Let's go get 'em!”

Suddenly, the sky was so filled with sparks, smoke, and light beams, Luke could barely see where he was shooting, never mind who was who. Good thing the Rebel League wore orange and white jumpsuits. It made it easier to focus on the black and white figures. He was having a hard enough time aiming his laser, never mind flying.

“Luke! Red Five!” Biggs' warning shot through the haze. “Watch out! They're coming for you!”

He didn't have the time to flee. Blazing heat shot out, burning his jet pack and melting most of his systems. “I'm hit!” He tried to tug it off, but was falling at too fast of a rate. “I'm going to try to land on the roof of the main Corellia Ship Yard building.”

It was an odd sensation, but as he fell, he didn't feel afraid. Wind rushed through his clothing. The waning sunlight poured over him as he tumbled, and yet, he only knew he was at home. The air, the wind, the sun...this was his element.

Luke, Ben's voice said on the breeze. He looked around, but only saw a few surprised hawks. Concentrate. Focus on the air. Use it. Don't fight it. Let the light and the air carry you. Remember, you are the Chosen One...and you have a job to do.

As he closed his eyes, he felt the quickly vanishing sunlight warm him to his toes. The wind rushed under his feet. He was light; he weighed nothing. The wind was him, and he was the wind. Golden light spread around his entire body, blowing him from the near-collision with the ship yard and allowing him to soar.

“Luke!” Biggs and Shara nearly flew into him. Biggs' eyes were wide behind his visor. “I didn't know you could fly without wings, buddy! Why didn't you tell us?”

Shara was grinning. “Far out! You're a supes! That is, you've got superpowers. Some of us have 'em. Some of us don't. Me,” she smirked as she shot two Shadow Men into the windows of Channel 11 offices, “I don't need them. I'm just that good.”

“Or that egotistical.” Wedge had just rolled his eyes when a light bolt shot between them. “Damn it! Our men are being taken out left and right here!”

As they neared Channel 11, the flap of a helicopter's wings managed to cut through the sounds of laser fire. Mara Jadeson hung out of the helicopter's door, holding on with one hand and talking into her microphone with the other. “And yes, we're bringing to you live from the skies over downtown Coruscant, a real battle between the terrorist groups known as the Rebel League and the Empire.”

Luke glared and kicked his legs out, zooming over to the young woman. “Are you crazy?” he hissed. “This is no place for civilians! You could get killed up here!”

“I'm doing my job,” she snapped, “which is more than can be said of you. You're obstructing the truth!” She raised a perfectly sculpted ginger eyebrow. “By the way, your voice sounds familiar. Have we met before?”

His body was starting to lose the warmth as the sun continued its slow descent into the pale pink horizon. “Look, miss, I don't have time for this. We have to get to that Death Ray, before it blows us all to hell and gone!” As they argued, he turned around in time...to see Vader coming straight at them. “Ms. Jadeson, look out!”

Fire sizzled from Vader's hand, hitting the helicopter straight on. The impact threw Luke off-course, sending him crashing into a billboard for the Twin Suns Casinos in Nar Shadda. The fire melted the back end entirely. Garven Dresden shot at his leg, just missing him, but distracting him enough to spare Mara.

Even as the two exchanged fire and light beams, the helicopter was spinning out of control. Mara had been thrown to the remains of the landing rails, which she clutched for dear life. The pilot had already leaped to saftey. Luke came to just as the copter's remains started to dive towards the Calamari River. Mara's fingers slipped as the rest of it broke apart, and she too started falling.

He did it without thinking. Using the last rays of the setting sun, he took off for Mara, zooming so fast, onlookers later reported seeing little more than a blur and trailing smoke and gold light in the sky. A pair of sun-warmed arms in an orange and white jumpsuit reached out and caught her seconds before she hit the ground.

“How did you do that?” She turned towards his face, trying to see his eyes behind the smoky visor. All she could see were sweet pink lips on a gentle chin. “Who are you? Why did you save me? You're one of them!”

“We're not as bad as you think we are, Miss Jadeson.” Luke tried to make his voice deeper, but it only came out in a squeak. “I'm...I'm the Jedi Knight.” He remembered what Ben said earlier, about how he was chosen to take his powers. “I'm the Chosen One, the last Jedi.”

Mara frowned as she put her arms around his neck. “But they're all dead and gone. Mayor Palpatine said they betrayed the city. They had to be stopped. Just like the Rebel League.”

“He's wrong.” Luke didn't mean to squeeze her so hard, but he didn't like how she was talking about his new friends. “The Rebel League is working for good, Miss Jadeson. We're here to stop people like Vader and the Empire.”

He set her down on the roof of the Channel 11 building. “I'm sorry about the loss of your copter and footage,” he said as he hovered in front of her. “I'll see if I can take a collection around later and try to get at least some money to replace it.”

“That's all right.” She squinted up at him. “You know, there's something crazy familiar about you. Maybe it's that chin, or the way you talk. Have we met before?”

“Uh, no, never.” He was glad she couldn't see her blush when she took his hand. “Look, I have to rejoin my unit...”

She didn't let him go. “When will I see you again? Maybe we could go see that new Star Wars movie down at the Endor 6 Theater. I heard it's amazing.”

“Uh...someday. Maybe never.” He finally pulled away. “I have to go.” She kept her eyes on him, even after he rejoined the others over the derelict, scarred remains of the shuttered factories in the Mimban District.

Wedge flipped open his visor and raised an eyebrow. “What happened back there? Are you ok?”

“Yeah,” Biggs added. “We saw the helicopter crash, but there were too many Shadow Men on our tail.”

“It's a long story. I'll explain later.” He looked up, just in time to catch the sight of Vader still exchaning fire with Garven. The older man was slowing down; Vader's fire just barely caught him on the shoulder. “Come on! We have to help him!”

They arrived just as Vader swooped in from behind. “Don't worry about me!” Garven pushed Luke away. “Go set up for your attack run. I can handle this!”

“No!” Luke didn't have the chance to shoot his own fire before Vader sent out a wide flame that spread across at least a mile. The others scrambled away just in time. Garven, slowed by his injuries, wasn't so lucky. When Luke looked over his shoulder, all that remained of the older man was dust.

Biggs put his hands on Luke's shoulder. “It's up to us now, Light Boy. We're the only ones left.”

Four Shadow Men were still following closely behind them, though Vader was nowhere to be found. “I'll take care of these jerks!” Shara swooped around them, shooting even as she did loops. “You boys go on ahead to Mimban! I'll cover you!”

Luke threw all his concentration into staying in the air. It wasn't easy. The sun was very nearly gone, and he could feel his powers diminishing. They weren't entirely gone, but they were stronger in the light. He could just barely feel the warming presence of Biggs and Wedge on either side of him.

The Mufasar Iron Works and the Hoth Mountains loomed behind them, a blackened mass of pipes and cinder blocks. Biggs shot ahead as the mountain itself creaked and groaned, then opened like the top of a sports car.

Wedge's brown eyes were wide under his helmet. “Look at the size of that thing!”

“Cut the chatter, buddy,” Biggs warned. “We don't need to give away our location.”

Luke pointed at the four remaining Shadow Men flanking Vader behind them. “I think that's the least of our problems right now!”

“I'll get the gun!” Biggs darted around shots from Vader's fire, which now more closely resembled fireballs. “You handle the others!”

Wedge took out one before another clipped him on his jet pack. “Damn it,” he yelped, “I'm leaking fuel!”

“Get back, Wedge!” Luke ordered. “You can't do any good back there.”

His friend nodded. “Sorry, buddy.” He flew off, heading for a soft landing at Redwood Memorial Park.

Biggs had already made it to the Death Ray. He stopped and shot at the tiny hole on a boulder on the side of the mountain, but his shots went wide. He was setting up to shoot again when intense heat blew against his side, nearly knocking him into the roof of the main Iron Works building.

“You stay on the smaller one.” Vader pointed his men towards Luke. “I'll take the leader.”

“NO!” Luke tried to dash towards Biggs, but it was all he could do to fend off the three men who attacked him. He could feel his powers start to fade with the rapidly setting sun. Flying was starting to tire him out, and the bursts of light from Blue Fire were growing weaker. Vader's fire obliviated his best friend into dust, even as he clipped the arms of one of Vader's men and soared towards the Iron Works.

“No,” he sobbed, trying to blink the tears out of his eyes. He had to be like Leia. There was no time for sorrow. He'd mourn Biggs later, when he blew this thing half-way back to Mos Eisley. “This one,” he growled, “is for Uncle Owen and Biggs. And,” he added, a little softer, “my father.”

Blinding flames nearly melted his faulty jet pack just as he reached the Hoth Mountains behind the Iron Works. “I have you now,” Vader hissed. “You won't escape me this time!”

Luke narrowed his eyes. “Try me, Father of Death!” He held Blue Fire, shooting another thin stream of light. “I am the Jedi Knight, and I won't let menaces like you destroy this city!”

“The Jedi League was disbanded years ago.” Vader's booming hiss somehow managed to drown out even the Death Ray's sizzle. “They're forgotten, little more than a footnote in history.” He raised his hand to turn him into dust. “Which is what you'll be in mere seconds.”

No sooner were the words spoken than a shower of water slammed over Vader. “Yahoooo!” Luke looked up...just in time to see a pair of black-booted feet fly into Vader's side, sending him into a billboard for Miller's Daredevil Motorcycle Show. “You're all clear, kid!” Harris wore a long black, red, and silver jacket over the tight black trousers and shirt leftover from the confiscated Shadow Men armor. A wide-brimmed fedora shadowed most of his face. “Go blow this thing so we can get the hell out of here. The chick who calls herself Captain Aero already went home.”

Luke laughed as he realized that Harris was hanging on a wire from the axle of the Millennium Falcon. The flying van soared past him towards Yavin, its lasers shorting out the jet packs on the remaining Shadow Men. Maybe it was his imagination, but it looked like Chewbacca was leaning on the wheel, somehow managing to navigate around the rooftops.

The hole in the boulder appeared within seconds. Even as he prepared to shoot his remaining laser, a familiar voice echoed in his mind. “Luke,” Ben MacKenner said softly, “trust your powers. Trust yourself. You're better than you think.” As he fiddled with the scope, the voice whispered again, as if on the wind, “Luke, trust me. Let go.”

The sun was almost behind the horizon. It was now or never. He lifted the sword Blue Fire to the final rays of the setting sun. They warmed his hands, his fingers, his toes. Every part of him was warmed. The light was a part of him, and he was a part of the light. Air and light swirled around the glittering khyber crystal blade, creating a bright blue globe. He swung his hand...and the wind knocked it directly into the shaft.

“Great shot, kid!” Harris was somehow managing to cheer wildly, even as he swung on the end of the cable. “That was one in a million! Now, let's get out of here, before that thing blows us back to Yavin the hard way!”

Luke didn't hear him. The sun had finally vanished, leaving an inky indigo sky...and he was suddenly exhausted. The light under his feet flickered out, sending him tumbling to the mountainside below him.

A leather-clad arm scooped him up, just as an ear-damaging blast came from the Mufasar Iron Works. “Don't worry, kid.” Harris' grin was almost as big and bright as the fiery explosion behind him. “I got your back.”

Luke could only manage a weary smile. “Yeah, it looks like you do.”

They landed at the back alley behind the Yavin Park building. Leia was the first person to bounce into their arms. “Leia!” Luke had enough juice left in him to hug her back. “I did it! We did it!” He nodded as Harris and Chewbacca jumped out of the van. “We all did it.”

Harris gave him a noogie. “You think I'd let you take all the credit and get all the rewards, kid? Besides,” he pulled a sheath of bills out, “I owe you and Her Hotness this much.” He thrust the bills in Luke's hand, then Leia's. “I don't know what The Fire Queen's going to do with hers, but kid, I want you to put yours towards Ben's funeral. I kept enough for my own needs.”

“Mine will go back into the Rebel League.” Leia's own smile was as warm as her fire powers. “I knew there was more to you than money!”

Chewie whimpered and nudged Harris, just as Charlie hurried up to them. He and Shara carried a blackened, battered, unconscious Ruddy. Blood was caked on his purplish face, and his arm hung at a crazy angle. “He got shot down,” Shara explained. “He was hit dead-on and landed side-first on the cliff side of Siegal Expressway. He's lucky I was able to help him out of there before he ended up getting jarred to bits on the mountain.”

Paramedics were already looking over Wedge, checking his arms and legs from his own rough landing. “Gentlemen,” Charlie insisted anxiously, “if I can help, I would be glad to donate any parts he may need. He's my best friend! I don't know what I'd do without him, no matter how much he can drive me to distraction at times.”

Luke patted his shoulder. “He'll be all right, Charlie. He's tough.”

A doctor in an olive-green jumpsuit was already checking Shara's arms and legs. “We're having a party to celebrate our victory at the Force Tree Cafe downstairs.” She gently patted Luke's arm. “Everyone's invited, especially the heroes of the hour.”

“Wouldn't miss it.” Luke took two steps before nearly ending up on his knees. Leia and Harris helped him back to his feet. “But first, I think I'd better rest. I really need a ride back to Tatoonie to talk to my aunt and see what I can help her salvage from my uncle's shop.”

Harris let him lean on his shoulder. “Maybe we ought to get you to the hospital, kid. You look bushed.”

“No, I'm fine.” The younger man waved it off. “I just need to sit down.”

Shara pointed in the direction of the coffee shop. “My boyfriend Kes should have a couple of seats open. They're usually pretty quiet at this time of day.”

“I'll go with you. I could use a good cup of java.” Harris turned his smirk to Leia. “How about you, Princess? Are you allowed to mingle with us mere mortals?”

“I'll be down later,” Leia sniffed. “I need to contact the White Queen and give her the full report on the destruction on the Death Ray, if she doesn't already know most of it.”

“Sure, doll. You just can't get enough of me.” He winked at her, then put an arm around Luke. “Come on, kid. Let's get you settled down, before you end up sleeping on the concrete.” Chewie sniffed around the corner and barked happily. “And I think he smells the sweet rolls.”

“All right, Harry.” It was all Luke could do to not pass out on his friend's shoulder. It had been a very long day. They finally followed Chewie around the corner as the paramedics got Rusty out on stretcher, his best friend by his side.